News from Preservation Virginia: Save the Dates

Summer General Meeting, June 11, 2011

The Summer General Public Meeting will be at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at Greenway Court, near White Post in Clarke County. Stabilization of three buildings at Greenway Court, Lord Fairfax’s estate and home in the Colonies, was selected as the Branch’s first project when the Branch was initially organized in late 2008. In 2009, the Branch raised matching funds to secure a state grant for emergency stabilization work. We are delighted to report that this stabilization work is underway and is expected to be substantially complete by June.

At the June 11th meeting, you will have the opportunity to see the recently completed and ongoing work firsthand, with the contractor who is doing the work on hand to discuss the results. In addition, Bob Stieg and Maral Kalbian will make a presentation on the dendrochronology analysis completed last year, which provides definitive dates of construction for the land office and smokehouse.

This meeting will be free to Preservation Virginia members and $10 per person for non-members. Greenway Court is located on White Post Road (Route 658) south of the village of White Post. On the day of the tour, “Historic Site Tour” signs will be posted at the property’s driveway. Following the tour, light refreshments will be served.

Clermont Farm Open For Tours During 3rd Annual HarvFest on June 18, 2011

The historic house at Clermont Farm will be open for tours on Saturday, June 18, 2011, from 10am to 6pm, during the Farm’s 3rd annual open house, HarvFest. The oldest section of the house dates to 1755, making it one of the oldest surviving structures in Clarke County.  Clermont Farm is located at 801 East Main Street in Berryville (at the intersection of East Main Street with Virginia Route 7).  Admission to HarvFest is $5 per person.  For more information, visit www.harvfest.org.

2011 Preservation Virginia Annual Conference coming to Winchester

The Northern Shenandoah Valley Branch is excited to announce that the 2011 Preservation Virginia annual conference will be held at the George Washington Hotel in Winchester, September 25-27, 2011.  Along with the Frederick County Winchester Historical Society, the Preservation of Historic Winchester and the Clarke County Historical Association, the Branch is working with Preservation Virginia headquarters staff on the planning of the conference, including a number of area tours highlighting significant historic properties and the innovative ways that they are being preserved and reused.  Mark your calendars now, and plan to attend.

News From Around the Branch

Clarke County: Clarke County has received a Certified Local Government (CLG) grant from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to complete a National Register nomination for the proposed Old Chapel Rural Historic District.  The new district will encompass the area around the Old Chapel Episcopalian Church on Route 340, south of Berryville.

Frederick County: The Frederick County-Winchester Service Authority is in the final stages of transferring the Millbank House (located on the south side of Route 7, just west of the Opequon Water Reclamation Facility) to the Fort Collier Civil War Center.  Constructed in 1836 by Quaker farmer Daniel Wood, the Millbank House served as a field hospital during the Third Battle of Winchester.  The Fort Collier Civil War Center plans to restore building for use as offices.

Shenandoah County: The Hupp’s Hill Museum in Strasburg has reopened.  The Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation leased the property from the Bernstein Family Foundation following the closure of the former Stonewall Jackson Museum.  The new Hupp’s Hill Civil War Park exhibits focus on the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign.

Visit Preservation Virginia online at preservationvirginia.org.